Council Biography

Sarah Pillsbury, a native of Minnesota, received her bachelor's degree from Yale. She moved to Los Angeles in 1974 where she began her career working in documentaries as associate producer on The California Reich (nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature) and attended UCLA film school.

In 1976, she co-founded the Liberty Hill Foundation to support progressive organizing in Los Angeles. In 1979, she produced Ron Ellis' Board and Care, which won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Subject.

Pillsbury joined forces with Midge Sanford in 1981 to form Sanford/Pillsbury Productions. Together they have produced eight feature films: Desperately Seeking Susan, River's Edge, Eight Men Out, Immediate Family, Love Field, How to Make an American Quilt, Joyriders and The Love Letter. Additionally, they have produced four television films including the Emmy Award-winning HBO film And the Band Played On.

Pillsbury continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the Liberty Hill Foundation, as well as the Board of Directors of Artists for a New South Africa. This year, she joined the Board of Trustees of Occidental College. She is on numerous advisory boards, including the Minnesota Film Board, the Minnesota Independent Film Fund and the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. She is a member of the Social Venture Network and Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities.

Pillsbury has two children, Nora, 16, and Will, 12.